Photos of Peoples in Melanesia - Beyond Tiki

IDOT I dream of tiki Tiki Socialite Pittsburgh, PA Joined: Jan 12, 2004 Posts: 501	IDOT I dream of tiki Posted posted on Wed, May 11, 2005 5:59 PM I am posting this for my new friend Dominique Rice, the owner of Oceania,etc in South Florida. She wanted to share this with the Tiki Central ohana. She took these pictures of these Trobriand natives during her travels to Melanesia. I am including her narration to accompany her photos. Photos from Kaibola Village, Kiriwina Island "The Trobriands are an archipelago of several low-lying coral islands situated to the northeast of New Guinea. They are part of Melanesia, a vast area to the south of the equator measuring 3,300 miles by 700 miles and encompassing New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, and the surrounding island chains. Since 1975, the Trobriand Islands have been considered part of a larger area known as the Massim District of the nation of Papua New Guinea." Trobriand girls wearing traditional layered skirt Trobriand Dancers "There is much trade between the islands; both ceremonial trading, called hula in which shell-disc necklaces and shell armbands are exchanged, and utilitarian, in which canoes, clay pots, wooden bowls, pigs, food, betel-nuts, and betel chewing utensils are traded. Magic and myth are strong forces in the lives of the Massim. They believe that most goals and tasks that they attempt can be promoted or obstructed by magic. Magic has the power to increase the fertility of the soil, improve the seaworthiness of canoes, and increase the power of the woodcarvers and the weapons they make. It can also inspire love, make people sick, kill people, control the weather, and make trade partners yield the desired items. Throughout the Massim area there are different myths that explain the creation of man and the custom of betel chewing among other things. In the Islands, Taro is the staple food, but yams are the status crop. Yams are eaten at weddings, funerals and other ritual feasts. The July-August harvest is followed by two months of feasts and competitions during with special dress such as these straw skirts made out of banana leaves is worn, before work on the next planting begins. Yams are competitively displayed around the decorated yam storage houses in the plazas. Dance competitions are organized by the ranked chiefs with backing from their wives' matrilineal clans and the traditional skirts are worn." Trobriand Yam House "Funeral ceremonies and feasts are important. They take place over a period of months and often honor a group of deceased relatives. Sponsorship of a Massim mortuary feast signifies the heir's ability to assume both assets and debts of the deceased. This can include exchanges with a man's Kula partners and paying off his pig debts." Trobriand boys [edited by Hanford to fix the subject] [ Edited by: I dream of tiki on 2005-05-11 21:26 ] [ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2005-05-12 19:54 ]

I am posting this for my new friend Dominique Rice, the owner of Oceania,etc in South Florida. She wanted to share this with the Tiki Central ohana. She took these pictures of these Trobriand natives during her travels to Melanesia. I am including her narration to accompany her photos.

Photos from Kaibola Village, Kiriwina Island

"The Trobriands are an archipelago of several low-lying coral islands situated to the northeast of New Guinea. They are part of Melanesia, a vast area to the south of the equator measuring 3,300 miles by 700 miles and encompassing New Guinea, the second largest island in the world, and the surrounding island chains. Since 1975, the Trobriand Islands have been considered part of a larger area known as the Massim District of the nation of Papua New Guinea."

Trobriand girls wearing traditional layered skirt

Trobriand Dancers

"There is much trade between the islands; both ceremonial trading, called hula in which shell-disc necklaces and shell armbands are exchanged, and utilitarian, in which canoes, clay pots, wooden bowls, pigs, food, betel-nuts, and betel chewing utensils are traded.

Magic and myth are strong forces in the lives of the Massim. They believe that most goals and tasks that they attempt can be promoted or obstructed by magic. Magic has the power to increase the fertility of the soil, improve the seaworthiness of canoes, and increase the power of the woodcarvers and the weapons they make. It can also inspire love, make people sick, kill people, control the weather, and make trade partners yield the desired items. Throughout the Massim area there are different myths that explain the creation of man and the custom of betel chewing among other things.

In the Islands, Taro is the staple food, but yams are the status crop. Yams are eaten at weddings, funerals and other ritual feasts. The July-August harvest is followed by two months of feasts and competitions during with special dress such as these straw skirts made out of banana leaves is worn, before work on the next planting begins.

Yams are competitively displayed around the decorated yam storage houses in the plazas. Dance competitions are organized by the ranked chiefs with backing from their wives' matrilineal clans and the traditional skirts are worn."

Trobriand Yam House

"Funeral ceremonies and feasts are important. They take place over a period of months and often honor a group of deceased relatives. Sponsorship of a Massim mortuary feast signifies the heir's ability to assume both assets and debts of the deceased. This can include exchanges with a man's Kula partners and paying off his pig debts."

Trobriand boys

[edited by Hanford to fix the subject]
[ Edited by: I dream of tiki on 2005-05-11 21:26 ]

[ Edited by: hanford_lemoore on 2005-05-12 19:54 ]

Post #158118 by I dream of tiki on Wed, May 11, 2005 5:59 PM